BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge's first dedicated youth center, Youth City Lab, plans to open its doors in early spring for kids and teens around the Baton Rouge area. 

The Youth City Lab project began five years ago with the main goal of creating a space for kids outside of school to learn new skills while staying out of trouble. 

The lab, located in the heart of Mid City, hopes to be a hub for teen collaboration, workforce development and mentorship by providing workforce certifications, literacy support, and entrepreneurship experiences.

The project is also investing in public safety by offering opportunities for teens to learn how to address the issues affecting their neighborhoods.

"Research consistently shows that when young people have access to safe spaces, mentors, marketable skills, and positive peer networks, communities see reductions in youth involvement with crime, both as victims and as offenders," Youth City Lab officials said.

The lab also plans to include a program teaching kids how to fix bikes, a cosmetic program for kids, teaching them how to cut and do hair, and a large stage for performing arts.